Council calls for comment on its Climate Change Action Plan

Is your business doing its bit for the future survival of the planet? Do you have strategies for sustainability, energy conservation, recycling and so on? Do you have advice to pass on to other businesses? If so now is you chance to share best practice and lend the benefit of your experience to others.

Public consultation starts on the council's Climate Change Action Plan on Friday 19 May for a period of three months. The plan illustrates the council's

Long-term commitment, as a signatory of the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change, towards a sustainable future for the local(and global) community.

Councillor Simon Burgess, Leader of the Council, says, "This Action Plan will not only draw public attention to the serious threat of climate change, it will also demonstrate, in practical terms, how we are committed as a council to leading the way on reducing the carbon-dioxide emissions that are a major cause of climate change, and preparing the city for its impacts.

The current water shortage is just one indication of the level of climate change that we are already experiencing in this country. To prevent any further dramatic changes we must act now by serious investment in renewable energy and alternative forms of transport, we must increase our rate of re-use and recycling, and above all we must bring about a change in behaviour, which means educating our children, and re-educating ourselves to lead sustainable lifestyles. The Action Plan provides a framework to help all of us achieve these essential goals."

The Action Plan outlines council aims to:

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our city by conserving energy, reducing local waste, and promoting the benefits of sustainable transport, such as cycling or walking, rather than using the car for short journeys around the city.

Encourage local businesses and other organisations to follow the council's lead and take responsibility for their own environmental impact on the city.

Prepare for the changes that will happen in Brighton & Hove because of the changing climate, such as hotter summers, drier winters, storms and downpours.

Create a change of attitude to renewable energy, such as wind and solar power as viable alternatives to the use of fossil fuels, such as coal and petrol.

Illustrate the economic, social and environmental benefits of taking action now on climate change.

A summary version of the council's draft Climate Change Action Plan [PDF 494kb] is now available to view or download on the council's website. The Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership (BHEP) will be responding in full to this consultation opportunity.